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The Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War at Home

The Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War at Home. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. Background. CUBA – site of Cold War confrontations Missile crisis = example of CONTAINMENT FIDEL CASTRO led a COMMUNIST revolution that took over Cuba in the late 1950s – many Cubans fled to FLORIDA.

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The Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War at Home

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  1. The Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War at Home

  2. CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

  3. Background • CUBA – site of Cold War confrontations • Missile crisis = example of CONTAINMENT • FIDEL CASTRO led a COMMUNIST revolution that took over Cuba in the late 1950s – many Cubans fled to FLORIDA

  4. Background, cont. • JOHN F. KENNEDY elected president in 1960 • YOUNGEST man elected president (43 years old) • First ROMAN CATHOLIC president • U.S. CONCERNED about Cuba since Fidel Castro’s TAKEOVER of the country in 1959 • Island is about 90 MILES off Florida COAST • Castro developed ties to the SOVIET UNION

  5. Bay of Pigs Invasion • CIA was training group of Cubans to INVADE CUBA, OVERTHROW CASTRO • Kennedy, advisors expected CUBAN PEOPLE to help invaders defeat Castro • Invasion took place in 1961 – TOTAL DISASTER • Result: America LOST much GLOBAL PRESTIGE, SOVIET UNION promised to support Castro

  6. Thirteen Days • October 16, 1962: PHOTOGRAPHS taken from an American SPY PLANE revealed that the SOVIETS were building MISSILES in Cuba

  7. 4 possible responses: • NEGOTIATE with Khrushchev • INVADE Cuba • BLOCKADE Cuba • BOMB the missile sites

  8. Monday, October 22: KENNEDY announced his decision to authorize a NAVAL “QUARANTINE” around Cuba

  9. Eyeball to Eyeball • The TWO MOST POWERFUL nations in the world stood “EYEBALL TO EYEBALL”, on the brink of disaster for 7 DAYS

  10. Timeline of crisis • October 15 – RECONNAISSANCE aircraft photographs several nuclear missiles in Cuba • October 16 – CRISIS begins, Kennedy convenes advisors • October 22 – announcement of QUARANTINE • October 23 – DEFCON 2 in effect

  11. October 24 – quarantine in effect, SOVIET SHIPS heading toward blockade • October 26 – Khrushchev’s first LETTER to Kennedy • October 27 – American reconnaissance plane SHOT DOWN over Cuba • October 28 – Khrushchev “BLINKED”: he ordered all Soviet ships away from Cuba, AGREED TO REMOVE MISSILES

  12. After-Effects of Missile Crisis • KENNEDY and KHRUSHCHEV established a “HOT LINE” • LIMITED TEST BAN TREATY: U.S., Soviet Union, UK signed treaty BANNING nuclear testing ABOVE GROUND

  13. COLD WAR AT HOME

  14. Government Response • The FEAR of communism and the THREAT of NUCLEAR WAR affected American life throughout the Cold War • House UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES Committee • Probed HOLLYWOOD movie industry for SUPPORT of communism, MEMBERS of Communist party

  15. McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 • DISCRIMINATED against potential immigrants from Asia, Southern/Central Europe

  16. Meeting the Technology Challenge • Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957  U.S. responded by creating the NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) in 1958 • Congress also passed the NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT (designed to improve science/math instruction in schools)

  17. Spy Cases • The convictions of ALGER HISS and Julius & Ethel ROSENBERG for SPYING for the Soviet Union helped fuel SUSPICION about a CONSPIRACY within the U.S. to help Communists.

  18. Alger Hiss went to PRISON for 4 years after being CONVICTED OF LYING to a federal grand jury investigating him for espionage • Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were FIRST U.S. CIVILIANS to be executed for espionage

  19. Sen. McCarthy and “McCarthyism” • Sen. JOSEPH MCCARTHY of Wisconsin played on American fears of communism by RECKLESSLY ACCUSING many government officials and citizens of being COMMUNISTS • His accusations were based on FLIMSY OR NO EVIDENCE

  20. This led to the coining of the term MCCARTHYISM – the making of false accusations based on RUMOR or GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

  21. Civilian Response • During the 1950s and 1960s, American SCHOOLS regularly held DRILLS to train children what to do in case of a NUCLEAR ATTACK • American citizens were urged by the government to build BOMB or FALLOUT SHELTERS in their BASEMENTS

  22. Cold War and Culture

  23. Other effects of the Cold War • The Cold War made FOREIGN POLICY a major issue in EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION during the period • HEAVY MILITARY SPENDING throughout the Cold War benefited VIRGINIA’S economy more than any other state • HAMPTON ROADS  naval and air bases • NORTHERN VIRGINIA  home to Pentagon, defense contractors

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